Cristofor Alandi (1856-1896) - Scena galante

Cristofor Alandi (1856-1896)
Scena galante
Oil on canvas, cm 58 x 40
Signed C. Alandi at the bottom left

In the luminous gallant scene analyzed here, at the center of the canvas, a young man is depicted in dialogue, raising with an eloquent gesture his left hand, with two ladies leaning on the balustrade of a terrace, atop a boundary wall. In the background a young woman is arriving on the back of a donkey, loaded on both sides with two large baskets. The two ladies leaning out, with a smiling and flirtatious air, wear dresses rich in shifting fabrics and light-colored wigs, as prescribed by the fashion of the time. The figures of the ladies are dominated by pastel tones, dear to Rococo taste, while the page, who wears a blue bell-shaped jacket embroidered and decorated with gold trims, is characterized by darker tones. The young man wears a blue outfit with trousers that change color, knee-length, completed by white silk stockings and the typical black shoes with round golden buckles. Under his right arm he has a dark tricorne hat. The figures are rich in details, such as the laces around the young man’s wrists, the embroidery and shapes of the garments, and the hairstyles of the protagonists. The setting is completed by the romantic touch of ivy growing along the wall, smooth on the upper part, and divided by a raised, decorative frame from the lower portion, lively with large blocks, in whose gaps tufts of grass grow. Because ivy is a climbing plant that grows by embracing tree trunks, it has inspired numerous references to love and friendship, becoming a symbol of fidelity and eternal affection. In the painting, rich in details, there is meticulous attention to particulars evidenced, for example, by the depiction of small red and pink flowers in the vases beside the two ladies and by the grass growing along the road edge beside the wall. A city profile with the bell tower of a church can be glimpsed on the horizon.

The frame is supplied as a gift, therefore it cannot be a reason for return or complaint.

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